Water covers more than 70% of the earth’s surface. And most cell towers are based on land. Therefore, your phone might not have service for a big part of your ocean adventure. And it could be one thing many sea voyagers want. Being in the middle of the vast waters gives you that unique opportunity of getting to know yourself better. You can reflect on thoughts like no other way. It also gives you freedom, albeit perhaps temporary, from all the worries and stress the world has imposed on our lives.

But just like anything else in this world, there’s actually peeves of having to miss out on what’s happening on land. Most of us have family who worries about us. There’s also the issue of being unable to get help when you need it right away. Although most ships have their own communication systems that can broadcast emergency SOS to the nearest port or nearby ships, it would be prudent to compliment it of our own phone just in case the worst of the worst happens.

Comparison

Things to Consider when Getting a Satellite Phone

1. The Trip

It is common wisdom in travelling that you should at least have a basic idea of where you are going. And that is even more true and important when you go sailing in the ocean where there’s no obvious landmarks that serves as reference in figuring out your own location.

Consider the area you’re going to. There could be a lot of nearby islands that have cell sites. That would have been a waste of your minute subscriptions. Also, many communication companies provide coverage at certain areas for a cheaper cost than the worldwide coverage provided by Iridium phones

Have a timeline that tells you which days are you going to arrive at a certain specific place. Granted, you may not always have a very accurate estimate but at least, having a basic idea will also tell you how many minutes you may need for the Sat phone.

2. Buying Versus Renting

You can either buy satellite phones or rent them. These options exist to accommodate a variety of sailors or outdoor travellers in general. What’s best depends on your frequency and how long each sail is going to be in a year.

3. Portability (dimensions, size, and weight)

This may seem to be of dull importance at the outset. After all, you’re going to be sailing and you’ll be staying inside the vessel for the majority of the voyage. There’s no need to be carrying around the Sat phone all the time right? Well, in case you and your crew need to abandon ship, you may consider otherwise.

Most have their own antennas built into the device, just like most mobile phones. However, the antennas are larger and most visible. (And yes, your “smart phone” has an antenna, it’s just not visible). Most antennas can be stacked and folded within the phone. But some have auxiliary antennas to amplify signals especially if stronger internet connection is desired

4. Battery Life and Power Source

Currently, the only way to recharge your satellite phone is to plug it in conventionally to an electric power outlet. It won’t be a problem under normal sailing conditions since almost all yachts and ships have power sources for electronic devices. But as mentioned earlier, in case of the need to abandon ship, it’s good to bring a spare or two fully charged batteries.

A fully charged one normally can last up to two to three hours of talk time. Factors affecting battery life include the type of batteries and temperature. Extreme hot or cold can shorten battery life.

5. Other features

Some Sat phones have an SOS Button. You pay for a subscription of it and the idea is that, when you press it, rescuers will come to your aid. A popular subscriptions service is from GEOS. They are available for 140 countries and respond & dispatch help 24/7.

Most system also support a low bandwidth internet access. Granted, the connection you’re gonna get is not as fast as 3G or LTE services.

Some systems are also able to broadcast your precise GPS location. This is very handy especially for rescuers as they can track you easily. You can also give your loved ones some peace of mind by having to know where you are.

Since we live in the era of “smart phones” now, it would be very convenient for Sat Phones to be able to sync with the common iPhone or Samsung phone. Granted, a lot of apps will remain unusable.

The ocean’s weather is always variable. That’s why a good Sat Phone must also provide weather updates that are as recent as possible.

Tracking feature allows your friends and community to see your progress.

Social media function lets you post messages and waypoints to Facebook, Twitter, or your own shared map.

Free DeLorme Earthmate app available from iTunes and Android Marketplace. Allows you to download maps and nautical charts to smartphones and enables inReach and iOS communication features such as native GPS to display location.